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DANIEL FITZGERALD, JESSE FITZGERALD, AND ELISHA FITZGERALD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR BRAIDING MANILA AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES.

Specification of Letters Patent 1\To. 1,566, dated April 24, 1840;

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, DANTEL FITZGERALD, JESSE FITZGERALD, and ELIsHA FITZGERALD, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Braiding-Machines, by which it is applied to the braiding of Manila or Sisal hemp; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full Vand exactI description.

The nature of the machine consists in causing spools of the fiber attached to t carriers to traverse a serpentine path two thirds around a pot and return, interlacing the fibers so as to produce a braid.

To enable others to make and use o-ur inv vention we proceed to describe its construction and operation referencev being had to the drawings hereunto annexed and Vmaking part of this specification. v

The size of the'whole machine for makingordinary vbraid is about eighteen inches in diameter and about fifteen inches high.

There is a spherical-shaped body called technically the Pot (from its resemblance to a cooking utensih) surrounded by a rim, which supports the machinery. YThe drawn ings are made half the siZe of the ordinary sized machine.

The driving machinery is placed on the outside and the working machinery on the inside of the pot (A.) The machinery on the outside consists of ten or twelve (more or less) cog Ywheels all of which are connected and driven by one ofthe number. They extend two thirds around the pot.

The cog wheels are hung on spindle, (B) attached to the rim (C.) This is placed at some two inches distance from the pot and the cog wheels are placed within it. These wheels are of three sizes. The wheel No. l (so marked in the drawings) is about live inches in diameter. Nos. 2 and 3 and the corresponding ones(10 and l1) are one inch and a half in diameter and serve to connect the wheel No. l with No. 4, which last, together with Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 is four inches in diameter. No. l2 is the same siZe as No. l. On the same shaft with No. l is a small cog wheel outside of it, about one inch and a half in diameter with which is connected a bevel driving wheel over which on its upright shaft is the band wheel (D).

There is cut in the pot, two thirds around it, a serpentine path or slot formed by a series of intersecting circles the first and the last of which are larger than the others. The circular pieces which are cut out in making this slot are held in position by the spindle, which run upon one journal each and are set upon the rims C.

They carriers (E) are formed each by a circular disk, upon whichare two standards holding between them the spool. At the bottom of this disk is the id, see drawing, Plate IV.

The fid fits int-o the serpentine slot and is made long enough to pass through halfV an inch. TheV carrier being' inside and the fid passing through there is a cap (F) placed on the d outside to hold it in place.

There are drivers placed on every spindle outside the pot; they arey marked G.

On wheels Nos.k l and 12 they have live` arms, each arm having in it a slot madel to receive the iid. On the other spindles thel drivers have but four arms similarly constructed. The number ofdrivers correspond with that of the carriers. The machine is made to contain as many of these as there are strands required in the braid. These carriers, by means of their fids connecting with the drivers are made to traverse r the serpentine slot backward and forward from end to end. The arm of one driver conveying the carrier over one circle andl the arm of the next driver catching the iid in its slot and conveying it under the next circle and soon. Each Vspool (H) contains within it a spring to prevent it unwinding too fast.

The eye-plate7 is placed inside the pot near the top, so that the eye will be in the p center of the work. The plate is supported by a standard on one side of the pot inside. The eye plate is marked I. The standard is marked J. On the top of the eye-plate there is a spring (i).

The shaft of the band wheel (K) has upon its top an endless screw, which works in a small cog wheel upon a horizontal shaft which rests on a part of the same standard that supports the shaft (K) of the band wheel.

The horizontal shaft (L) has upon the other end a roller (M) over which passes the braid. There is another roller (N) under which the braid passes and by which the braid is held and pressed. The roller (N) is on a hinged standard (O) to which is attached a spring (P) for the purpose ofV pressing it against the braid.

The guides (Q)v are'on the ends of shafts (R) set in the circularV pieces `of Athe larger circles at the end of theV serpentine slot. They are either plain disks` as shown in the drawing or they may be made as Cylinders.

They areplaced near-the eye and serve to guide the fibers.

The following isa more minute descr1ption` by immediate reference to the drawings?` ,Plate Il'contains a perspective plan or a view from abovethemaohine, showing the general positions of the parts.- VPlate II` is aside view or elevation, slightly inperspective. Plate III shows the manner in whichthe serpentine pathV is made. Figure l of this platel shows the connection and f relativesizes of the oog wheels on the rim outside the pot.V Fig. 2 shows thelarger circle of theV serpentine slot andV smaller ones, with one of the drivers, on'the wheel No. l, andione ofthe other drivers. in oocult lines on wheel No.4. Plate IV shows thespool and the eye-plate. Fig. 3 of thisY drawing shows the eye-plate and its sup-V port; Fig. 4: is the same thing. Fig. the

carriers and spools.A 4

The same letter refers to the samethings in all the drawings. i

" A,. represents the pot; B, the spindlesof the cog wheels; C, the rimout side the pot; D, the drum or band wheel; E, the carrier.`

of-the spool; F,the oapvontside the'pot on rthe fid; G, the drivers; l-l, the spools,

which are made intwo pieces and nnserew` in the middle to admit Vthe' spring; I, thev A eye-plate; J, the standard; z', the spring over which the braid passes; uK, the shaft ofthe band wheel vor drum;fL, the horizontal shaft; M, the roller over which the braid passes; N, the rollerpressing uponV Mv to hold the braid; O, the hinged standardof f the roller N; P, a spring attached to O and pressing againstthe lower part of the pot Y Vis formed.

A; Q, the guides R, their shafts; S, the boxes in which run `the `journals of the spindles of the cog wheels; T, the standard sup-porting the upright shaft ofthe band wheel; U, the bevel driving wheel; V, the

lband upon the driim; W,the platform or bed of the machine; X, support of the horij zontal shaft. y p

In the operation of the machine the spools are filled with the liber to` be braided and Vthe strands passed through the eye. They are then passed over the: end of the spring z' and then over the roller M and under N. The machine `being then put in motion by the band wheel or drum the-spoolsI are made to traverse the Vserpentine slot and the braidl The spools are restrained from turning too fastby the spring, Pl. 4, inside` the spool. This is an ordinary watch spring coiled and put inside the hollow spool `on the shaftof which, that is not made to revolve, thereis a small ratchet which catches one end of the spring so that the spool will` not turnat all till `the force upon-it is suiiicient to QvjJer` come-the friction of the outer part ofthe spring against the inside ofthe spool.`

What weelaim asour invention and vdesire to secure by Lett-erslPatent is- 1. The combination of thepressing rollers M and N and with `thespools"guides, QA and4 eyefplate as herein described.

2. The employment of the guides o, P1.`

scribed. s 1 y Y Given underl our lhands .this March 1840. A

@da .5f

,DANIELV FITZGERALD. 'y .TESSE'FITZGERALD. p ELISHA FITZGERALD..

Witnesses: C OWENV GIWARREN; j

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